Shoes having detachable components are known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,133 to Marlowe et al. teaches a shoe consisting of a body portion to which an upper is attached to form the completed shoe. The upper is detachably secured to the body portion by plural brackets that fit over the lower surfaces of the upper and secure the upper to the body portion. However, while Marlowe et al. permits different types of shoes to be formed, neither the base portion nor the upper form a stand-alone shoe. That is, until the body portion and the upper are affixed to one another, no wearable shoe exists. Moreover, the attachment method is complex and requires the use of multiple brackets for forming the completed shoe.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0283564 filed by Stillwagon teaches a shoe with interchangeable tops. A shoe base is provided with multiple fasteners around its periphery to which eyelets of the upper are engaged to form a shoe. Alternatively, engageable portions of a zipper are arranged on the outer portions of the shoe base and the interchangeable tops. However, while Stillwagon permits different types of shoes to be formed, the shoe base is not a stand-alone shoe. That is, just as in Marlowe et al., until the shoe base and the upper are affixed to one another, no wearable shoe exists. Moreover, the attachment method is complex and requires the use of multiple fasteners or a zipper for forming the completed shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,368,314 to Marx shows a shoe having a separable sole and upper. In Marx, a sole portion is provided with a series of anchoring members that project upward to form a channel. The upper is secured to the sole portion by thickened portions of the uppers into respective channels in the sole portion formed by the anchoring members. However, while Marx permits different types of shoes to be formed, the sole portion is not a stand-alone shoe. That is, just as in Marlowe et al. and Stillwagon, until the sole portion and the upper are affixed to one another, no wearable shoe exists. Moreover, the attachment method is complex and requires the use of complex anchoring mechanisms for forming the completed shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,187 to Evans shows a shoe having a separable sole and upper. The upper is formed with a flange or a band around its lower periphery. The flange of the upper is configured to engage around a significant portion of the sole with complementary shaped sole flanges. However, while Evans permits different types of shoes to be formed, the sole is not a stand-alone shoe. That is, just as in Marlowe et al., Stillwagon and Marx, until the sole portion and the upper are affixed to one another, no wearable shoe exists. Moreover, the attachment method in Evans is complex and requires the use of complex anchoring mechanisms in both the upper and the sole for forming the completed shoe.
The above conventional shoes with detachable portions have a disadvantage in that none of the individual components functions as a working shoe without attachment of the constituent parts to one another. Moreover, the attachment structure of the conventional shoes of this type is complex and requires providing, and the user manipulating, structure that is disposed over a significant area of the constituent parts of the shoe.